The worse thing about copy + paste is sometimes, you don’t remember what you’ve copied… and you’re shocked when you see what you’ve pasted!
Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfiction belongs to me under international copyright laws and taking it is plagiarism. Thank you. *Phantomness bows*
Chapter 24
Lorelei passed through the seaport quietly. She had her orders, and she knew exactly how to fulfill them.
Cardinal Oak had given her a vial of liquid that would be infinitely useful. Without a word, she traipsed through the winding roads until she reached Duke Morty’s mansion. It was not a long walk.
The Duke greeted her courteously enough, invited her in for tea. She nodded as the servants poured tea and brought trays of sweets.
“What is it this time, Milady?” Morty asked. “Surely not another attempt at peace. You have bitten me once already.”
“None of that.” Lorelei said calmly.
“Then this is a purely social visit and no agenda of Cardinal Oak’s?”
“How blunt you are!” She laughed.
“I find it a useful quality. Dalliances and dancing around subjects are such trivial matters, are they not, Milady?”
“True indeed.” She sipped the tea, winced.
He smiled solicitously at her
“Perhaps some more sugar?”
How could Morty drink this disgusting concoction? It tasted of dead leaves. She hid a shudder and heaped several spoonfuls of sugar into her tea to disguise the taste, then applied herself to some of the tarts the servants had provided.
Morty touched none of it.
“Are you afraid I will poison you, my lord Duke?”
“What morbid thoughts you think!” Morty looked deeply affronted. “No, no. I simply do not wish to give you the chance to steal any more of my jewelry.”
“How cruel you are!”
“How truthful, you mean.” Morty sighed. “We both know that this is no social visit, Lorelei. I am sick of these pleasantries. What has the Cardinal demanded this time? It is high time he got over his jealousy. After all, Queen Sabrina will never love him, even should he order my death.”
Only a slight tightening of her lips betrayed Lorelei’s emotion. Morty smiled.
“Did I divine the truth, Milady?”
“Perhaps you did. I would not tell you.”
“Ah yes, but if I am to die, I would rather it be as painless as possible, so if you’re planning to knife me in the back, I’d suggest not to try.”
“I am only a fragile woman, Duke.”
“Say as you will.” Morty picked up one of the sugared pastries and took a bite. “You are rather bewitchingly clever. Tis a pity you choose to act for Oak.”
She did not answer.
He continued to chew, and sighed as he took another sip of tea. “Tis a sad state this world is in. I do wish…” And then he choked.
Lorelei held her breath, waiting, but a moment later, the Duke’s eyes closed. She stood and brushed a few stray crumbs off her skirts.
That had been quite simple. Her hands were not even dirty. Swiftly, she shed her lovely overdress, leaving her in the attire of a maid. She bundled her clothing into the fireplace and spent a few moments watching it burn to nothing, before she slipped out the servant’s entrance, none the wiser.
It was done.
Duke Morty was dead.
“I’ve found the location of your precious Whitney.” Will spoke two days later. Red brightened up almost immediately.
“So where is she?”
“In a convent, dedicated to the Holy Order of Augustine.”
“Ah… not too far from here.” Lance deduced.
“Exactly my point.” Will smiled. “We could pick her up as soon as we were given leave, if you wished, Red.”
Red nodded. It would make sense, would it not?
Meanwhile, somewhere on the way from Houen to Kanto…
Milady stood proudly silhouetted against the prow of he ship. She had fulfilled her mission. Now, she could wait for Oak to give his permission for Red’s death. Then again, Red’s mistress was in a convent…
She checked her notes briefly, before returning them to her bodice.
So, she had hidden in the Convent of Augustine? She would be there within days.
Revenge would be sweet…
“I want you.” Red shivered at the tone of Lance’s voice.
“Lance, I…”
He prowled closer, the firelight gleaming off his golden eyes so that he looked like a prowling beast, perhaps some creature of dark legend snatching an innocent virgin from the alter.
It sent a delicious thrill down his spine.
“Tomorrow, we may die.” Lance whispered, as he pushed Red down.
Red’s eyes glittered. “More of that you cannot tell me,” He sighed.
“I wish I could, but I accepted my fate long ago.”
“I understand. It is Milady, is it not? Only she could turn this tide.”
“Morty is dead already. Soon, the news will spread, and the battle will end, but at what cost?”
“He’s dead already?”
“The birds brought the news last night.” Lance sighed. “But it was his time. There was nothing any of us could have done for him.”
“I see.” Red sounded a bit disappointed, but quickly covered it. There were more pleasant things to think of.
Lance waited until Red was fast asleep, before he left the tent and unfastened the lacings holding the lovely gold braid on his musketeer uniform in place. He unraveled until he had a mess of golden threads in hand, and began to weave.
A net formed, glittering bright, and he spoke no words in human language as he threw it into the air. The wind caught it and flew away.
It was finished.
One death, at least, could be prevented…
It was so ironic that he could only affect those distant from his power. But Red would be happy in the end, no matter what path he chose, and as for Milady, well, things would happen.
That was the way fate’s wheel was turning.
End Chapter
Completed 6/13/06